US wildfires close in on city

Powerful winds have pushed a raging wildfire to the doorstep of a wealthy US coastal city, threatening to destroy dozens more homes and leading to the evacuation of more than 20,000 people.

Fri, 08 May, 2009 - 21:11

Powerful winds have pushed a raging wildfire to the doorstep of a wealthy US coastal city, threatening to destroy dozens more homes and leading to the evacuation of more than 20,000 people.

Firefighters were putting out roof fires today as gusts drove the flames down from the steep canyons above Santa Barbara and started burning homes in the residential flatlands.